Applications of Differentiation

Maximum and Minimum Values................................ 1

Extreme Value Theorem............................................. 2
Fermats Theorem.........................................................2
Critical Number............................................................ 2
Closed Interval Method........................... 3
How Derivatives Affect Shape of a Graph..........................4
Increasing/Decreasing Test.......................... 4
First Derivative Test.4
Concavity Test......................................................6
Inflection Points................................................... 6
Second Derivative Test................................................ 6
Optimization Problems........8
References..........................................................................10

0
 Applications of Differentiation
Maximum and Minimum Values

A function f has an absolute maximum (or global maximum) at c if f (c) f ( x) for

all x in D , where D is the domain of f . The number f (c) is called the maximum
value of f on D .

Similarly, f has an absolute minimum at c if f (c) f ( x) for all x in D and number

f (c) is called the minimum value of f on D .

The maximum and minimum values of f are called the extreme values of f .

A function f has a local maximum (or relative maximum) at c if f (c) f ( x) when x

is near c . [This means that f (c) f ( x) for all x in some open interval containing c .]
Similarly, f has a local minimum at c if f (c) f ( x) when x is near c .

Example 1 The function f ( x) = cos x takes on its (local and absolute) maximum value
of 1 infinitely many times, since cos 2n = 1 for any integer n and 1 cos x 1 for
all x . Likewise, cos(2n + 1) = 1 is its minimum value, where n is any integer.

Example 2 The graph of the function f ( x) = 3x 4 16 x 3 + 18 x 2 1 x 4 is

shown. We can see that f (1) = 5 is the local maximum, whereas the absolute maximum
is f (1) = 37 . This absolute maximum is not a local maximum because it occurs at an
endpoint. Also, f (0) = 0 is a local minimum and f (3) = 27 is both a local and an
absolute minimum. Note that f has neither a local nor absolute maximum at x = 4 .

y = 3 x 4 16 x 3 + 18 x 2

(-1, 37)

(1, 5)

(3, - 27)

1
 Applications of Differentiation
The Extreme Value Theorem
If f is continuous on a closed interval [a, b] , then f attains an absolute maximum value
f (c) and an absolute minimum value f (d ) at some numbers c and d in [a, b] .

0 a c d b x

Fermats Theorem
If f has a local maximum or minimum at c , and if f ' (c) exists, then f ' (c) = 0 .

Critical Number
A critical number of a function f is a number c in the domain of f such that either
f ' (c) = 0 or f ' (c) does not exist.

3
Example Find the critical numbers of f ( x) = x 5 (4 x) .
Solution The Product Rule gives
3 2 3 3(4 x) 3
f ' ( x) = x 5 (4 x) + x 5 (1) = 2
x 5
5 5x 5
3(4 x) 5 x 12 8 x
= 2
= 2
5x 5
5x 5

3
Therefore, f ' ( x) = 0 if 12 8 x = 0 , that is, x = , and f ' ( x) does not exist when x = 0 .
2
3
Thus the critical numbers are and 0 .
2
If f has a local maximum or minimum at c , then c is a critical number of f .

2
 Applications of Differentiation
The Closed Interval Method

To find the absolute maximum and minimum values of a continuous function f on a

closed interval [a, b] :
1. Find the values of f at the critical numbers of f in (a, b ) .
2. Find the values of f at the endpoints of the interval.
3. The largest of the values from Steps 1 and 2 is the absolute maximum value; the
smallest of these values is the absolute minimum value.

Example Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of the function
1
f ( x) = x 3 3x 2 + 1 x4
2
1
Solution Since f is continuous on ,4 , we can use the Closed Interval Method:
2
f ( x) = x 3x + 1
3 2

f ' ( x) = 3x 2 6 x = 3 x( x 2)
Since f ' ( x) exists for all, the only critical numbers of f occur when f ' ( x) = 0, that is,
x = 0 or x = 2.
The values of f at these critical numbers are
f (0) = 1 f (2) = 3
The values of f at the endpoints of the interval are
1 1
f ( ) = f (4) = 17
2 8
Comparing the four numbers, we see that absolute maximum value is f (4) = 17 and the
absolute minimum value is f (2) = 3 .

(4, 17)
f ( x) = x 3x + 1
3 2

(0, 1)
1 1
( , )
2 8

(2, -3)

3
 Applications of Differentiation

How Derivatives Affect the Shape of a Graph

Increasing/Decreasing Test
a) If f ' ( x) > 0 on an interval, then f is increasing on that interval.
b) If f ' ( x) < 0 on an interval, then f is decreasing on that interval.

The First Derivative Test

Suppose that c is a critical number of a continuous function f .

a) If f ' changes from positive to negative at c , then f has a local maximum at c .
b) If f ' changes from negative to positive at c , then f has a local minimum at c .
c) If f ' does not change sign at c , then f has no local maximum or minimum at c .

y y

f ' (x) > 0 f ' (x) < 0

f ' (x) < 0 f ' (x) > 0

0 c x 0 c x

y (a) Local Maximum y (b) Local minimum

f ' (x) < 0

f ' (x) > 0

f ' (x) < 0
f ' (x) > 0

0 c x 0 c x

(c) No maximum or minimum (d) No maximum or minimum

Example Find the local maximum and minimum values of the function
f ( x) = 3x 4 4 x 3 12 x 2 + 5 .
Solution: f ' ( x) = 12 x 3 12 x 2 24 x = 12 x( x 2)( x + 1)

4
 Applications of Differentiation
To use the I/D test we have to know where f ' ( x) >0 and where f ' ( x) < 0. This depends
on the signs of the three factors of f ' ( x) , namely, 12 x , x 2 and x + 1 . We divide the
real line into intervals whose endpoints are the critical numbers -1, 0 and 2.

The sign of f ' ( x) is represented on the number line.

----- +++ ----- +++++

-1 0 2

We see that f ' ( x) changes from negative to positive at -1, so f (1) = 0 is a local
minimum value by the First Derivative Test. Similarly, f ' changes from negative to
positive at 2, so f (2) = 27 is also a local minimum value. f (0) = 5 is a local maximum
value because f ' ( x) changes from positive to negative at 0.

Definition
If the graph of f lies above all of its tangents on an interval I, then it is called concave
upward on I. If the graph of f lies below all of its tangents on I, it is called concave
downward on I.

y y B
B

g
g

0 a b x 0 a b x

Concave downward Concave upward

5
 Applications of Differentiation

y
D

B P
C

0 a b c d e p q x
CD CU CD CU CU CD

Concavity Test
a) If f " ( x) > 0 for all x in I, then the graph of f is concave upward on I.
b) If f " ( x) < 0 for all x in I, then the graph of f is concave downward on I.

Definition
A point P on a curve y = f ( x) is called an inflection point if f is continuous there and
the curve changes from concave upward to concave downward or from concave
downward to concave upward at P.

The Second Derivative Test

Suppose f " is continuous near c .

a) If f ' (c) = 0 and f " (c) > 0 , then f has a local minimum at c .
b) If f ' (c) = 0 and f " (c) < 0 , then f has a local maximum at c .
c) If f ' (c) = 0 and f " (c) = 0 , then the test is inconclusive.

Example Discuss the curve y = x 4 4 x 3 with respect to concavity, points of inflection,

and local maxima and minima. Use this information to sketch the curve.

Solution: If f ( x) = x 4 4 x 3 , then
f ' ( x) = 4 x 3 12 x 2 = 4 x 2 ( x 3)
f " ( x) = 12 x 2 24 x = 12 x( x 2)

6
 Applications of Differentiation
To find the critical numbers we set f ' ( x) = 0 and obtain x = 0 and x = 3 . To use the
Second Derivative Test we evaluate f " at these critical numbers:
f " (0) = 0 f " (3) = 36 > 0
Since f ' (3) = 0 and f " (3) > 0 . f (3) = 27 is a local minimum. Since f " (0) = 0 , the
Second Derivative Test gives no information about the critical number 0. But since
f ' ( x) < 0 for x < 0 and also for 0 < x < 3 , the First Derivative Test tells us that f does
not have a local maximum or minimum at 0.
Since f " ( x) = 0 when x = 0 or 2, we divide the real line into intervals with these
numbers as endpoints.
The sign of f " ( x) is represented on the number line.

++++++++++ ----- +++++

0 2

The point (0,0) is an inflection point since the curve changes from concave upward to
concave downward there. Also (2, -16) is an inflection point since the curve changes
from concave downward to concave upward there.
Using the local minimum, the intervals of concavity, and the inflection points, we
sketch the curve.

f (x) = x 4 4x3

( 0, 0 )

Inflection points

( 2, -16 )

Local and Absolute minimum at

( 3, -27 )

7
 Applications of Differentiation
Optimization Problems

Steps in Solving Optimization Problems

1. Understand the problem.
2. Draw a Diagram.
3. Introduce Notation. Assign a symbol to the quantity that is to be maximized or
minimized (say Q). Also select symbols (a, b, c, , x, y) for other unknown
quantities and label the diagram with these symbols.
4. Express Q in terms of some of the other symbols from Step 3.
5. Find the relationship between Q and the unknown quantities.
6. Find the absolute maximum or minimum value of f .

Example A cylindrical can is to be made to hold 1 L of oil. Find the dimensions that will
minimize the cost of the metal to manufacture the can.

Solution Draw the diagram as in the figure 1 below, where r is the radius and h is the
height (both in centimeters). In order to minimize the cost of the metal, we minimize the
total surface area of the cylinder (top, bottom, and sides).

2r
r

h h

Area 2( r2)

From figure 2, we see that that the sides are made from a rectangular sheet with
dimensions 2 r and h . So the surface area is
S = 2 r 2 + 2 rh since the area of two circles for top and bottom gives
us 2 r 2 and surface area of the rectangular sheet is 2 rh .
To eliminate h we use the fact the volume is given as 1 L, which we take to be 1000 cm 3
Volume of a cylinder is r 2 h , so
r 2 h =1000

8
 Applications of Differentiation
We only want one variable in the equation instead of two, so solve for one of the
variables and substitute
Which gives h = 1000 2 . Substitution of this into the expression of S gives
r
1000 2000
S = 2 r 2 + 2 r ( 2 ) = 2 r 2 + .
r r
Therefore, the function that we want to minimize is
2000
S (r ) = 2 r 2 + r >0
r
To find the critical numbers, we differentiate:
2000 4( r 3 500)
S ' (r ) = 4 r 2 =
r r2
Then S ' (r ) = 0 when r 3 = 500, so the only critical number is r = 3 500 5.4192

'
The sign of S (r ) is represented on the number line.

----------- ++++++++++

3 500

So S is decreasing for all r to the left of the critical number and increasing for all r to the
right. Thus r = 3 500 must give rise to an absolute minimum.

1000 y = A(r)

0 10 r

9
 Applications of Differentiation

The value of h corresponding to r = 3 500

is
1000 1000 500
h= = = 23 = 2r
r 2 2
(500 ) 3

Thus, to minimize the cost of the can, the radius should be 500
cm and the height
3

should be equal to twice the radius.

Reference:
Stewart, James. Calculus 5th edition

10